Quiz: Howstuffworks

The Contenders Quiz: Hippos

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Image: refer to hsw

About This Quiz

See if you can answer these true or false questions about the hippopotamus is also known as the river horse. The more you know may help you determine the ultimate river champion in the Rumble in the River.

Hippos don't have sweat glands.

True

False

Hippos do not have sweat glands; instead they use river water to keep them cool and produce a pinkish mucus that works as a sunblock.

Hippos use their teeth for eating and fighting.

True

False

Hippos don't use their teeth for eating. They pluck blades of grass with their lips and bare their saber-like teeth as a threat to enemies, using them to stab their intended victim when necessary.

Male hippos can fight as long as two hours.

True

False

Males mostly fight over females. They use their canines to dig into their opponents, causing deep wounds and breaking teeth with powerful blows to the head.

Hippos spend half their lives in water.

True

False

The only time hippos venture out of water is when it rains and in the evenings when it is cooler. Their hairless skin is extremely sensitive to the sun and looses moisture quickly.

Females give birth on land.

True

False

The female hippo gives birth in water, building a dam bewtween the riverbank and deeper water with her body . Hippo calves begin treading water soon after birth and nurse underwater, too.

Young hippos remain with their mothers for two years.

True

False

Young hippos stay with their mothers for five years, forming a close family bond.

Hippos can stay submerged underwater for over five minutes.

True

False

Webbed toes, along with eyes, ears and nostrils at the top of its head, make the hippo perfectly adapted to water. It can close its nostrils underwater, leaving only its eyes and ears protruding from the water.

Hippos have an intestinal tract over 50 meters or 164 feet long.

True

False

Hippos can consume about 100 pounds of grass each night. Their stomachs are compartmentalized for longer digestion.

Hippos form social groups.

True

False

Hippos can be found in groups of 10 to 100 individuals, but they are far from social animals. A dominant male leads the group and marks the group's territory by flinging dung with a swish of its tail.

Hippos are endangered.

True

False

The hippo is classified as common and widespread by the World Conservation Union, even though its distribution is counted as 157,000 across 34 countries in Africa. Its status could change if it continues to loose land to graze.

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